mountshang

A journal of weekly trips to various art museums and galleries in Chicago.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Six Hundred Years of Western Civilization

Berlin Master of Mary of Burgundy,

"Triumph of David" from a Book of Hours

c. 1490

Here are two pieces

- both on temporary display at the Art Institute of Chicago -

that offer a nice opportunity to contemplate

the passage of time in our civilization.

By the way -- I really like both of them

Mary of Burgundy was the great-great granddaughter of Philip the Bold - whose brother, Jean Du Berry, lent his name to those rapturous Tres Riche Heures.

This is such a sweet, humorous, and startling miniature. It illustrates a Biblical story - but it feels so sophisticated and courtly. It must have been intended to entertain the ducal children.

It certainly entertains me.

Willem De Kooning , "Interchange" (1955)

(detail)

(detail)

(detail)

DeKooning painted this five years after "Excavation" (1950) and twenty years before "Untitled XI" (1975) -- both of which are in the permanent collection of the Art Institute.

"Excavation" is better known --but it feels dull, ugly, and depressing.
"Unknown XI" is much prettier -- but if you want pretty - so many other painters are much better.
"Interchange" is somewhere in between -- and it's my favorite.

About Me

I live life dangerously by ignoring the advice of Chuang Tzu: "Your life has a limit but knowledge has none. If you use what is limited to pursue what has no limit, you will be in danger". Badly spoiled by my wife, I spend mornings in sculpture studio, afternoons in record shop, evenings on the internet, weekends at the Palette and Chisel Academy and Art Institute of Chicago, and, the time spent in between, reading world literature. Am currently focused on the Middle East and South Asia.